Chapter 24
Reese
I probably shouldn’t have abandoned Clay out there with Beck, but I was flustered.
Not from getting caught by a family member. Again.
Not because we had been standing in the middle of Henley Falls, where anyone could have seen us.
Not because all of my female cousins were scurrying away from the front window, like a bunch of pervy Peeping Toms.
No, it was because of one Clay Montgomery and his kiss.
More accurately, what his kiss made me want.
I’d been ready to abandon my family and turn right around to go back to my apartment.
Hell, I’d been close to letting him back me up against the wall and do whatever he wanted for all and sundry to see.
More.
It made me want more in every way. Physically. Sexually. Intimately. Of him. Of us. Except there wasn’t an us, there wasn’t an intimacy to our relationship. It was one-night, but I wanted more. So much more. Too much more. Those fucking words haunted me even in this.
And that was fucking dangerous.
Now wasn’t the time to think of that, so I turned to my cousins.
“Seriously? Watching through the window?”
“Listen, Ree. You don’t want people to see, don’t go at it in the middle of the sidewalk.”
“We didn’t go at it, Ever.” Never mind that I’d wanted to, that my panties were practically drenched, and I felt all kinds of uncomfortable with that fact knowing my family surrounded me.
“Whatever.” Ever jerked her head toward the door. “Here comes your man. Beck,” she yelled out, “bring Clay on over.”
Slapping her arm, I hissed her way, “He’s not my anything.” Why did the words taste funny coming from my mouth? Because you want him to be something. I didn’t. I couldn’t. That was a beyond dangerous road to go down.
“Your wish, dear sister.” Beck bowed Ever’s way, earning him his own slap from her.
“Is this everyone?” Clay’s deep voice came from right behind me.
Not that I needed it to know his location.
Apparently, one night with the man and my body was like a fucking homing signal, able to detect his proximity without sight.
My nipples pebbled, and I hoped to God the thin bandeau bra served up a miracle and gave me some sort of protection; otherwise, I was putting on quite the show.
He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me back the slightest bit until I was all but touching his body.
“What are you doing?” I hissed quietly, hoping the noise in the bar would prevent anyone else from hearing.
Clay leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear, and it took every ounce of willpower to not grab his hand and drag him back to his car. “Preventing your brothers and cousins from seeing my erection,” he whispered. “Your ass in that skirt should be illegal.”
Every gaze at the high-top tables we always occupied was focused our way. Watchfulness and warning from the guys. Teasing and flirtatious from the ladies. Everyone knew what was up, except me. I didn’t know which way was up anymore.
What I did know was that I wanted to enjoy the night, enjoy Clay. If that meant flirting and teasing and working with what he gave me, I was going to do it.
“Live Reese. Live and love and be too much. Embrace it. That’s what I want for you.”
It was really piss-poor timing to remember Gramps’ words not long before he died, but here I was. Maybe it was time to give it a try.
“Well, um, yes. Everyone except Kellan, of course. You’re lucky.
” I twisted slightly to look up at the man hovering over me and give a little bit of room between our bodies.
“Rand and Jax—” I paused and pointed their way.
“—got back today from a brewing symposium. It’s why I didn’t schedule you for the brewery until tomorrow. ”
Rand looked Clay up and down, his eyes showing his skepticism. “You know anything about brewing?”
“About as much as I know about cooking and vineyards,” Clay answered Rand’s question.
“Great.” Rand rolled his eyes. “So, nothing from what I heard. Good to know.”
“That’s why I asked him to stay, Rand. So he could learn and then see if what we want is possible or something he’d be interested in.” I hated feeling the need to explain myself all the time. That no one believed Clay taking some interest in the businesses was a good plan.
Maybe, just maybe, if you weren’t rubbing yourself against him, they wouldn’t doubt you.
My inner voice had a valid point, but it felt fantastic doing exactly that.
“Anywho, let me finish the intros, and then you can harass Clay about his lack of knowledge.” I smiled Clay’s way and received a taunting grin in return.
“You weren’t complaining about my knowledge the other night,” he murmured in my ear, quiet enough so no one else could hear.
“Seriously, can we lower the damn temperature in here? I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment, and I’m getting a little frustrated, if you know what I mean.” My cousin Henley was like me and Ever. On steroids.
“None of us needed to hear that, Hen,” Beck groused.
“Children, can we not.” I wasn’t worried about putting out our more argumentative and goading sides to Clay; he’d already seen plenty of it.
I was worried this could devolve and last for an hour.
“As I was saying, Ava is their sister.” I pointed my most statuesque cousin’s way, who waved at Clay.
“She’s an accountant, handling all our stuff along with working for a firm in Rockford.
They make up the brewery contingent. You already know Ever and Beck.
Owen and Marshall round out the winery crew.
” Marsh nodded Clay’s way while Owen extended his hand.
“Owen’s married to Lainie. He’s the only one of us hitched. ”
Lainie gave a finger wave. “We didn’t officially meet, but I saw you.” Her voice took on a decidedly singsong lilt at the end. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell everyone about it. Only Ever and Owen.”
“I did though,” Ever chimed in from the other side of the table. “I’m good like that.”
“You’re a menace, that’s what you are,” Beck complained.
I dropped my head back. “Dammit, can I finish? Otherwise, this is going to last all fucking night.”
“That’s not the only thing that’s going to last all night, Little Trouble,” Clay’s playful taunt drenched my panties again. It was like his superpower.
I closed my eyes for a second, praying I wouldn’t spontaneously orgasm on the spot. When I opened them Ever gave me a wink, to which I responded by giving her the finger.
“Saving the best for last, of course.” Henley pushed her way through the guys.
“I’m Henley Nichols, the last of this group, which is why I got the coolest name.
Thank God it’s not Henley Henley, because that would have been overkill, right?
My Momma’s the Henley.” With a quick fluff to her hair, she pointed toward her twin and added, “That’s my older sister, Mackenzie.
Second coolest. Our dad runs the distillery until I get to do it.
You gonna join us and sing tonight, Clay? ”
“Older by three minutes, you goof.”
Henley was indeed the youngest and a barrel full of trouble. Mac, on the other hand, was as sedate as her sister was wild.
“Whatever.” She turned serious for a moment. “You gonna make my distillery not be some damn grape sign on the side of the road?”
“Back off my grapes, Henley.”
Yeah, I needed to cut this off quick before Beck lost his mind and the whole evening devolved into a mess. “So that’s everyone in the family. You've already met Astrid, so that leaves Seth. He’s Beck’s best friend, so we included him.”
“More like a brother from another mother,” Beck interjected, with a punch to his friend’s arm.
Ever shook her head, and I didn’t need her to say anything to know how strongly she disagreed with that statement. Not that it would change anything.
Clay had stayed relatively quiet the entire time.
I couldn’t sense whether he was overwhelmed, trying to sort everyone out, or what.
To be honest, it unnerved me a little. I was used to bantering with him, a steady stream of push and pull.
Worry settled over me. Worry he was having doubts about us.
That we hadn’t put our best foot forward.
I should have had something more formal, more businesslike.
Not introducing everyone over beer and karaoke, like someone who didn’t know the first thing about business.
Though he fit the part tonight. I hadn’t lied when I said how good he looked dressed down.
Then again, I had a feeling it wouldn’t matter what he wore, I’d find something to make my panties wet regardless.
“It’s nice to meet you all, and Henley, I don’t think I’ll be taking part tonight.
I’m not exactly karaoke experienced,” he said, a smile covering his face.
“I have to say it’s not the first business meeting I’ve had in a bar, but it is by far the most enjoyable.
My father used to say you should always get to know the people you’re going to do business with beyond a boardroom. I think he may have liked it here.”
My mouth fell open. For the first time in a while, I didn’t know exactly what to say. Clay hadn’t talked about his family much at all. Questions upon questions floated through my mind. There was so much more about this man I wanted to know, to learn, to experience.
Chatter started up around us, the normal family bickering and complaining and teasing, while I pivoted to stare up at him. His arms banded around my waist, dragging me closer to his body. Everything around me faded out, and all I saw, all I could focus on, was us.
Leaning down, he lowered his head until our foreheads were almost touching. “Thank you for introducing me to your family. Thank you for tonight.” With a fleeting brush of his lips across my nose, he rose and turned to Beck, leaving me speechless and melting into a puddle of feelings.
I am in so much fucking trouble.